


mercy no more

by patrichor



Series: c!dream gets beat UP [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Enderman Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Good Friend Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Implied/Referenced Suicide, POV Second Person, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), The Nether (Minecraft), Violence, aka wilbur is phil's only child and he & technoblade are old friends, apparently, but it's vv vague dw, c!dream apologists..... this is not a safe space, did not realize it was gonna be when i went in but here we are, going with canon sbi dynamic sorry bc that's not the focus, it's very brief!!, major character death is dream, obviously, ranboo goes fucking feral, returning to my natural style for this one, someone burns alive, that someone is dream, tommy mentions worrying ranboo was gonna sacrifice himself to take out dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28861653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrichor/pseuds/patrichor
Summary: It never leaves you, even when you are presented with evidence that should prove otherwise. The blood god dominates the arena, seemingly untouchable. Technoblade never dies, the whispers say. You know that is not true the same way you know that your dark half is something called an enderman, the same way you know water will burn and kill you, the same way you know your name. It's written on your heart, carved into your bones.Gods can bleed.Gods can die.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Grayson | Purpled & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: c!dream gets beat UP [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2112075
Comments: 63
Kudos: 727





	mercy no more

**Author's Note:**

> I JUST WANT RANBOO GOING COMPLETELY FUCKING FERAL ON C!DREAM
> 
> also i love writing ranboo being actually very good at fighting people just don't know he is bc he just. doesn't lmao

It's a truth spoken in whispers, passed from hand to hand like a priceless treasure with cautious eyes keeping watch.

Gods can bleed.

Gods can die.

You don't remember where you first heard it. You don't remember most things. But this is a truth you know down to your core- it is written in no book, you don't dare speak it aloud, and yet you know you could never forget.

It never leaves you, even when you are presented with evidence that should prove otherwise. The blood god dominates the arena, seemingly untouchable. _Technoblade never dies,_ the whispers say. You know that is not true the same way you know that your dark half is something called an enderman, the same way you know water will burn and kill you, the same way you know your name. It's written on your heart, carved into your bones.

Gods can bleed.

Gods can die.

Even you don't know how you reach the Dream SMP. Amnesia can be incredibly inconvenient, you've found. Certainly the green god who meets you with an axe is skeptical of your story.

You do not remember the words, then. It's just a feeling in your core, and you look at the green god in front of you and you are not afraid. The green god seems even more suspicious at this, but as time goes on and it becomes more clear that you have not lied about anything, the green god's suspicion is directed more toward your mystery past than you yourself.

You do remember some things, but you do not say them unless asked. You remember the arena, remember fighting and winning, again and again and again. You remembers Purpled, vaguely, once you cross paths, though more from rumors in the arena than anything. Purpled remembers you too, and afterwards the two of you will often sit and talk about what little you remember, the other former gladiator filling in gaps. Purpled is your friend, you write it in your book so it must be true.

It's Purpled who helps you remember. Once, when you have a disc playing to ensure you won't be overheard, he looks over to you and whispers, as if sharing some great secret of the universe.

"Gods can bleed."

You don't remember, but the answering words come naturally as if you've said them a thousand times before.

"Gods can die."

He smiles at you, and the two of you never speak of it again. But it stays with you, even with your poor memory- the disc, the words, his smile. You don't write the words down. Somehow, you're sure you'll never forget them again.

Hostile mob hybrids are not very welcome in most places. You are a hybrid of two different mobs, one of which even you don't know, and as a result wherever you go people will look at you warily or with fear. You hate it, so you make yourself as nonthreatening as possible. You slouch to disguise your unnatural height, you take up as little space as possible, you restrain the warbles and screeches that sometimes try to escape. You move in predictable, jerky human patterns, and eventually your new friends relax around you.

None of them know about the arena, or your skill with weapons and violence. You pretend you can't teleport, at least not on command, citing that you are only half enderman as an excuse. You don't like eye contact or being looked at but you power through it, looking at people's foreheads or chins to avoid being rude.

Some of your new friends don't care about your hybrid status. You stretch to your full height to pull something off a high place for Tubbo, and he laughs and thanks you. You accidentally let a screech loose around Tommy, and he just asks if you can speak Ender. When you say you can, he asks you to teach him.

A little-known trait of hybrids, and hostile mob hybrids in particular, is their sense of loyalty to the group they claim as theirs. You do not say anything, but you mark a new section in your book titled simply _Pack_. Tommy and Tubbo's names go under it. You never show it to anyone, but you know you've already imprinted on them. Phil too, later, once he saves you from lava and is kind to you. You think you would do anything for them. You don't expect your loyalty to be returned, and yet.

Tommy takes the full blame to protect you.

He is exiled for it, even as you power through your discomfort and argue on his behalf.

"He is not selfish." You say, holding your ground despite the itching in your skin from eyes looking at you.

Tubbo looks at you regretfully, but his decision has been made and nothing you do will sway him. In a surge of protectiveness, you pull off your crown and turn, placing it on Tommy's head. Somewhere to the side, Phil's breath stutters. He knows the meaning of what you have done, the claim you have laid on Tommy.

 _He is family,_ Your gesture says. _He is family, and I claim him, and he is mine to protect._

Tommy doesn't understand, you know that, so you put a hand on his shoulder and tell him with a smile to keep the crown safe and to bring it back to you once his exile is over. He hugs you, and you watch as he leaves with the green god.

It will not be enough to protect him. You know that. But it is a declaration to any who are able to understand, and that will have to do for now. Tubbo still needs you. Fundy and Niki and Phil and L'Manberg still need you. You visit Tommy as often as you can find time for, and pray that it is enough.

One day a few weeks into Tommy's exile, you're helping Phil reorganize his chests when he asks you about it. It turns out Piglin culture has something similar, something he learned when his friend Technoblade did it for him. He asks if it means the same thing in Ender culture.

You nod. "Tommy is family." You say, moving two stacks of stone to be next to each other. Then you frown, because that doesn't seem quite what you mean. Fundy is family. Niki is family. But somehow you feel like what the four of you- you, Phil, Tubbo, and Tommy- have is a little different. "Tommy is pack." You say finally, a little frustrated that you don't have quite the right words to say what you mean. Next to you, Phil hums and nods, and you remember that his best friend is also a hostile mob hybrid. If anyone understands what you mean, it's likely Phil.

"Dream isn't going to leave Tommy alone." Phil says lightly, as though just making casual conversation and not delivering a warning.

Your eyes narrow and you lower your own voice until it's barely audible even to you. "Gods can bleed." You whisper, looking straight ahead. "Gods can die."

Phil barks a laugh and nods, ruffling your hair easily without your crown getting in the way. "That they can, mate. That they can."

You're visiting Tommy the day the green god goes too far. He's braiding your hair, listening to you talk about what Enderchest has been getting up to, when the portal makes a swishing noise and you look up to see him approaching.

"Tommy." He says lightly, and you bristle at the subtle threat in his tone. "What are you doing?"

"Hanging out with Ranboo, what does it look like?" Tommy grumbles, but his fingers are frozen in your hair and you can feel his fear radiating from behind you.

The mask is still but you get the impression of a smile widening anyway. "Really. Even though I told you you shouldn't be talking to these people visiting out of pity?"

You feel Tommy shrink back slightly, and your eyes narrow. "Pity, green god?" You ask, your voice chilling. "Last I checked, Tommy is my friend. Is that not enough reason for me to want to spend time with him?"

The green god chuckles behind his mask, unbothered by the ice in your tone. "You know Ranboo, I've been wondering. Why don't you ever use my name? It's always 'green god' with you. Don't tell me you're a fan."

You blink at him. "Is 'god' a compliment here?" You ask, genuinely confused. You hear Tommy laugh behind you, and your expression softens at the sound despite the painful tug at your hair.

The green god sounds less amused. "Yes, very funny. I'd be careful if I were you, though, Ranboo. Not everyone has as good a sense of humor as mine." He shifts his weight, clearly not planning to leave anytime soon. "You should be off now, though. Tommy and I have some _things_ to discuss." Though his tone is pleasant, you feel Tommy retreat back into himself and something inside you snaps.

You gave him your crown. He is under your protection now, and if anyone hurts him, no law of gods or men can fault you for what you do in response.

"Excuse me for just a moment, Tommy." You say, lowering your voice. "I'll be right back, but I think I need to talk to the green god."

Tommy lets go of your hair reluctantly and stands with you, looking as though he expects you to leave through the portal and possibly never return. You ruffle his hair and smile, enduring the intense discomfort to make eye contact for brief moment and nod reassuringly.

He knows how difficult that is for you and his eyes widen at the effort you make, before a small smile crosses his face in return.

"Yeah, see you in a bit, Ranboo."

You turn to the green god, drawing yourself up to your full height. He is tall by the standards of humans, but you are not human and you use every inch of height you possess to tower over him.

For the first time in your life, you pull the words from your core and speak them out into the world instead of whispering.

You look him in the eyes through his mask, raising your voice to carry clearly throughout Logstedshire.

"Gods can bleed." You say coldly, watching his posture become wary as he registers your words.

You smile viciously, your mouth stretching wider than a human's could as your jaw unhinges.

"Gods can die."

And then you're on the green god, an inhuman screech tearing loose from your throat as you tear at him with sharp hands. One of your claws catches on the strap of his mask and cuts it, sending the porcelain flying and revealing the shock and undertones of fear underneath.

The green god does not make a habit of underestimating his opponents, but you have not fought since you arrived here, not really. Had he been to the arena while you were there he might have recognized you for your particularly agile style of fighting, favoring quick rushes of attacks that overwhelm your opponent and teleporting away if they manage to counterattack.

He is gashed and bleeding and you seize his throat, snarling. "Tommy is pack." You growl, your voice distorting slightly with your natural Ender accent that you normally keep suppressed. "You will stay away from my pack."

He doesn't answer fast enough for your liking so you shake him a little, your voice raising. "Tommy is pack. Tubbo is pack. Phil is pack. You will stay away from them, or I will tear down everything you have ever achieved and cut you down until you stop coming back."

The green god chokes out an agreement, and you eye him suspiciously before teleporting with him into the Nether.

He has hurt your pack. You will make him hurt, too. You hear the faint noise of a portal in the distance as Tommy runs through, worried about your safety. For so long, he has seen the green god as untouchable, always a step ahead, and you as harmless. He forgets, sometimes, that just because you don't remember doesn't mean you don't understand. You hear him cry out as you grasp the green god tightly and fall toward the lava below, relishing in the fear in his eyes. At the last second, you release him and teleport back to the bridge above, startling Tommy who seems as though he might have been about to cry.

**[ Dream tried to swim in lava to escape Ranboo ]**

You instinctively move and wrap your arms around him, holding him tightly and making comforting _vwoop_ sounds in the back of your throat as he buries his face in your shirt and trembles.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." He demands once he has collected himself. "I thought you were- I thought you were gonna pull some shit and sacrifice one of your lives to take him down or something!"

"Sorry," You murmur, now calmed from your blinding rage and feeling sheepish. You hadn't even considered how it must have looked to Tommy when you pulled the green god from the bridge with you. "I won't do it again." You promise, looking at his chin to avoid eye contact. "Next time I'll just rip him apart, okay?"

Tommy lets out an incredulous laugh. "Next time?? Ranboo please don't tell me you want to make a habit of challenging Dream, that guy's like- he's like a god or something!"

You laugh also, slinging your arm around Tommy's shoulder as the two of you return to the Overworld. You walk back to where you fought the green god, bending and picking up the mask abandoned on the ground.

"Gods can bleed." You respond calmly, turning the mask over in your hands and inspecting it. It really is just an ordinary mask after all. "Gods can die."

"Yeah, you said that already." Tommy grumbles, but he's still smiling. You tuck the mask into your inventory and move into the tent, emerging once you've found what you're looking for.

You put your crown on Tommy's head once more and grab his arm, tugging him back towards the portal.

"Where are we going?" He asks, confused.

"Home." You respond, leading him insistently forward. "I'm making an executive decision. Your exile is over."

He splutters, but doesn't pull away. "Can you- can you even do that??"

You shrug. "I can now," You decide, prompting more incredulous laughter from Tommy. You let him be exiled because you had no choice, but all it led to was him being alone, manipulated, and hurt. You will not let it happen anymore. If the green god tries to protest, you think, you will recruit others and burn down many structures. Either the green god will have to demand the exile of all of you- and you wish him luck trying to get the entire government of L'Manberg to exile itself- or he will have to admit that Tommy's exile wasn't really about the arson at all, but about control.

Tommy is your pack, and you failed to protect him before. You will not fail again.

Mentally, a third line carves itself in your core next to the first two. You mouth it, testing its feel, before smiling. You think you like it.

Gods can bleed.

Gods can die.

Gods can be killed.

Elsewhere, as Phil looks at the death message and smiles, imagining the shocked whispers and cries of surprise throughout the SMP, he's inclined to agree.

**Author's Note:**

> hell yeah fuck him up ranboo
> 
> i know it might not seem like it based on my dsmp works, but i'm actually more used to writing in second person lmao
> 
> i wrote this instead of doing schoolwork bc my priorities are FUCKED :)


End file.
